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Assay of T3 phage by plaque count

Insights

This study details a plaque count method for assaying T(3) phage. Tryptose-phosphate-dextrose agar enables easy counting of several hundred T(3) phage plaques within 20 hours.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Virology
  • Bacteriology

Background:

  • Accurate quantification of bacteriophages is crucial for various research applications.
  • Traditional plaque counting methods can be time-consuming and may lack precision.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish an efficient and reliable method for the assay of T(3) phage using plaque counts.
  • To optimize media conditions for clear and countable plaque formation.

Main Methods:

  • The agar layer method was employed for bacteriophage T(3) enumeration.
  • Serial dilutions were performed using various media.
  • Tryptose-phosphate-dextrose hard agar was utilized as both plate and overlayer media.

Main Results:

  • Plaques generated with Tryptose-phosphate-dextrose agar were consistently small, distinct, and sharply defined.
  • This method allowed for the easy counting of several hundred plaques per plate.
  • Effective plaque counting was achievable after incubation periods of both 4 and 20 hours.

Conclusions:

  • The described agar layer method using Tryptose-phosphate-dextrose agar provides a robust technique for T(3) phage titration.
  • This optimized method enhances the accuracy and efficiency of bacteriophage quantification.

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